


Tea and Talks

by The_Jade_Goblin



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Also fluff, Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-31 03:43:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12673710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Jade_Goblin/pseuds/The_Jade_Goblin
Summary: My version on the break up scene in Julian’s route, plus the Asra comfort scene afterwards.





	Tea and Talks

She looked up at him, and he avoided her eyes. She stood still, waiting. For him to say something. Anything. 

“Well, here we are.” he murmured. “At your shop. End of the line…”

“It doesn’t have to be the end Julian,” Shaye began, but Julian simply shook his head.

“Oh but it does my dear, it really does. I just…wanted you to know, the time we spent together, however brief…It meant something to me, I’ll always remember it.”

“It meant something to me too Julian.” Shaye reached out, like she was going to touch him, but hesitated. 

“I wish you wouldn’t leave.” she whispered.

“I know.” Julian answered forlornly. “I do too.”

“Then stay.” Shaye turned desperate eyes up to him. “Please.”

“I…can’t…” he looked heartbroken, and Shaye just sighed, nodding her head.

He bent down, and gently kissed her cheek. 

“Thank you, my dear.” he murmured to her. 

He turned and walked away, Shaye squeezing her hands together in her anxious state, eyes watering. 

“Ilya…” 

Julian stopped dead at the sound of his name. He didn’t turn, but Shaye could imagine his shcked expression. 

“You’re always welcome. Whenever you need someone to talk to, or some place to stay, or just…anything. You’re always welcome here. With me.”

Julian didn’t move, even as he heard the crunching of gravel as Shaye moved towards him. She didn’t look up at his face as she pressed something into his gloved hands. 

“Take this amulet of mine. It’s magic. It will keep you safe, and help you find your way back to me, if you ever need to. Whenever you need me I’ll be there. So…come back, okay?” 

She hesitantly looked up to see Julian staring at her in disbelief. She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“Be safe.” she left him with those words as she made her way back to her shop, and didn’t look back. 

She opened her door, and once she was safely inside, she leaned against the door heavily and let out a shuddering breath. She’d used all her energy to stay calm and strong in front of Julian, but now she was at her breaking point.

Sound and movement caught her eye, and she glanced up. 

“Asra?”

“Shaye, you’re home.” Asra’s smile was a welcome sight and it warmed her heart at seeing it.

“Oh, Asra!” she got up and ran into his arms, a few tears leaking out from beneath her lashes.

“Shaye what’s wrong? What’s happened?” Asra’s hands smoothed over her hair, rubbing her back in concern.

“I just missed you so much.” Shaye sobbed, tightening her grip on Asra. 

Asra held her as tightly as she clung to him, pressing his lips to her hair. 

“I missed you too Shaye. I’m sorry for leaving when you needed me the most, I shouldn’t have gone.”

“It’s okay, I’m just so glad you’re home.” Shaye pulled away and smiled at Asra through her tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

“I have a feeling you’re upset at more than just my absence though.”

He always did know just what was going on in her head. She nodded.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I…don’t know.”

Asra nodded. “Then how about we just relax instead, I’ll make you some tea, and you don’t have to talk about anything if you don’t want. I’ll tell you everything about my journey if you like, would you like that my violet star?”

Shaye smiled at the old endearment. 

“I’d love to hear about your journey. I love hearing you talk,”

“And there are few pleasures greater than speaking with you.” Asra smiled softly. 

Hours later, Shaye was curled comfortably in Asra’s familiar embrace, a warm cup of tea in her hands, Faust curled around her shoulders, half paying attention to Asra magically stirring his tea and reading her own book.

“Asra?”

“Yes dear?”

Shaye winced slightly at the ‘dear’. Julian called her that…

“Is it…is it possible to love two people at the same time?”

“Of course.” Asra replied. “Love is love, and sometimes you have so much love that you can’t keep it all to one person, you need another to make you happy. That’s natural.”

“And is it natural to need those two people more than anything, but still feel guilty about having feelings for both of them?”

“People used to the concept of monogamy would probably feel guilt at first yes, but it’s completely normal. You can love more than one person wholly and equally. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Shaye sighed into her tea, nodding slowly.

“There a particular reason you’re asking Shaye?”

She glanced back at him. There was that intuitive look in his eye again, and she knew he knew. She snuggled back against his chest, and his arms tightened around her comfortingly. 

“Tell me sweetheart, who else holds your affections?”

Shaye sighed again, pouting slightly into Asra’s chest. 

“Take a wild guess. Knowing me, and knowing all the stupid shit I get into, take a guess as to who I feel for while you’ve been gone.”

Asra hummed in thought, pretending to think. 

“You’ve been at the palace recently yes? Then how about Nadi?”

Shaye chuckled weakly. “Nope. Try again.”

“Hmm…what about…” 

“I’ll give you a hint. He has a flair for drama and suffering.

“Oh, Ilya no doubt.” Asra said immediately. 

“Bingo. 100 points.” Shaye muttered.

Asra chuckled quietly and cradled Shaye’s annoyed groaning form against his chest.

“I understand. So you’ve been spending time with him?”

“Few days now. He was just so…everything I’ve been dreaming of. I thought I already had everything I wanted,” she squeezed Asra’s hands and kissed the bare skin of his chest. “But then he came along. And then he walks off tonight ‘for my own protection’ like I’m some pure maiden that he can’t bear to be near in case he taints me with his unspeakable darkness.”

“Ahh yes, that sounds very much like Ilya. He makes you feel special doesn’t he? Ilya has a way of lighting up the room, makes everything every exciting, until he finds a way of sabotaging his own happiness. I swear the only thing that man loves more than drama is his own suffering.”

“You got that right.” Shaye muttered in annoyance. “Stupid plague doctor and his stupid need to make himself miserable. Why won’t the idiot just let me love him?”

“Ilya’s like that. Doesn’t think he’s worthy of it.” Asra said, stroking Shaye’s hair soothingly. “He’ll come around though, he’ll be back.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know him. And I know you. You’re beautiful and incredible and amazingly kind. You offered him everything he wanted but thinks he can’t have, he won’t be able to resist that forever even if he wants to. He wants to be with you as much as you want to be with him I promise.”

“And you’re not mad?”

“Why would I be?” Asra looked down at her, puzzled. “You still want me too don’t you?”

“Of course I do Asra,” Shaye reached up to cup his cheek. 

“Then I’m not mad. And even if you didn’t I wouldn’t be mad, love’s fickle like that.” he kissed her nose affectionately. “I’ll be here as long as you need me, and if you need Ilya too, that’s perfectly fine.”

Asra nuzzled into her cheek, making her giggle as his hair tickled her neck. She sighed, absently stroking the skin of Asra’s hand on her abdomen.

“Nadia has me investigating her husband’s death, she wants me to bring the murderer to justice. She thinks that person is Julian, but I’m not so sure. He just doesn’t have the temperament of a murderer, I believe he’s innocent, but I have no evidence to support that. Yet.”

“Then I’ll help you in any way I can.” Asra said.

“Really?”

“Anything for you my starlit night. Anything at all.” 


End file.
